CHAP. I. 
TRIPOLI. 
5 
and they extended also to myself, whom he promised equally to 
protect and assist. 
With so powerful and friendly an ally as we had every reason 
to consider Mukni, we of course felt perfect security and confidence 
in the future, and we I'emained in the firm hope and assurance that 
all these flattering professions would be fully reahsed on our arrival 
in the kingdom of Fezzan. In a few days after I reached Tripoli 
I was introduced by the British Consul to the Bashaw ; but as it was 
a private audience only, I had no opportunity of witnessing the 
splendour of his court. As neither Mr. Ritchie nor myself were 
yet equipped in our Moorish costume, which we were particularly 
advised by the Bashaw to adopt, we did not appear much in public ; 
but having procured the ConsuFs permission to reside in a house 
once belonging to the Portuguese consulate, we removed there in 
order to prepare ourselves for our outfit. I furnished myself with 
a horse and the greater part of my equipments, Mr. Ritchie not 
possessing sufficiejit funds for that purpose. 
When presented to the Bashaw, it was thought absolutely 
necessary, by way of adding consequence and respectability to the 
mission, that 1 should be styled captain. I was therefore intro- 
duced as a Rais, or commander of a ship of war. Had I been sup- 
posed to have held an inferior rank, my reception by the great man 
would not have been so flattering, there being no intermediate 
gradation known in that country. 
On the 5th of December, 1818, having accepted an invitation 
to pass the evening at the house of the Sheikh el Bled, or Governor 
of the town, we sent for an old barber to shave our heads ; and our 
beards (which we had suffered to grow, and which now made a 
respectable appearance), were put in order for the occasion. 
Our costume was that of the better class of Tripolines, who have 
two kinds of dresses ; the one long, and worn chiefly by elderly 
